The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia-Calibrachoa and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Kakegawa S88.’ It is characterized by having a burgundy flower color and mounding growth habit. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization in Kakegawa, Japan in May of 2003. The male parent was a proprietary hybrid Calibrachoa line named ‘04-44’, having a burgundy flower color, medium flower size and a semi-creeping plant habit. The female parent was a proprietary hybrid Petunia line named ‘04H-54’, having a pinkish-red flower color, medium flower size and mounding plant habit.
In May 2003, the new Petunia-Calibrachoa variety was developed using an intergeneric cross between a Petunia hybrid and a Calibrachoa hybrid species. After crossing the parent lines, 1,980 ovules were removed from flowers on the female parent and cultured by standard ovule culture techniques. In December 2003, 15 intergeneric hybrid plantlets were transplanted to soilless media for greenhouse culture and acclimatization.
In March 2004, 12 plants out of 15 hybrid lines were vegetatively propagated to produce rooted cuttings. In April 2004, the 12 plants were transplanted to an open field and evaluated for flower color and plant growth habit through July. In August 2004, ‘Kakegawa S88’ which has a bright burgundy flower color and a mounding plant growth habit was selected and vegetatively propagated. In September 2004, 10 cuttings were evaluated in an open field through November 2004. The selection subsequently was named ‘Kakegawa S88’ and found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.